Childrens Hospital: Lake Bell on Stepping into the Director's Chair

From TV shows to movies to sketch comedy, Lake Bell has definitely run the gamut of entertainment mediums over the course of her career. However, it was only recently that the actress decided to branch out and try her hand at directing. To start, Bell helmed two episodes of Adult Swim's Childrens Hospital, in which she also plays the sexy and hilarious Dr. Cat Black.

Following the debut of her first directorial episode ("The Boy with the Pancakes Tattoo"), I got a chance to speak with Bell about her experience directing for the show as well as some of the challenges she faced in taking on a dual role during production.

IGN TV: You directed the premiere as well as the episode airing on October 4th. What was it like for you directing on a series that you've been a part of in an acting capacity for years?

Lake Bell: My biggest fear was getting in there and then not being able to wrangle the hilariously awesome cast that we have, because I have been one of those hard-to-wrangle cast members. I know it's challenging for a director to come in and do a scene with all these people -- we're constantly doing bits and we're having a great time, and we all love each other. We're joking around like 12-year-olds at the kids table for Thanksgiving. So that made me nervous, much to my surprise. But my comedy family -- or whatever it is -- at Childrens Hospital was so supportive, thoughtful, cool, hilarious and present when I did that. It was awesome. I think as long as you're prepared as much as you can be... We're also short form, so we only had two days to shoot each episode, and I had two very ambitious episodes. They were very action-packed, and that's not something I typically know how to do, but it was a very supportive environment to experiment and learn.

IGN: Did you choose those action-packed stories for yourself, or was that decision out of your control?

Bell: Oh, that's out of your control, yeah. It's funny, [Rob] Corddry and David Wain had seen my short film, which is kind of a neurotic, female comedy. It was at Sundance, and they were totally rooting for me. They saw it, and they said, "Hey, would you direct some Childrens Hospital?" So that was sort of an invitation, but I thought it'd be kind of daunting. I was like, "Jesus, I'm not a sketch writer. That's not what I do." But they just assigned me these scripts, and I was like, "I'm going to do my goddamn homework on this one." With Childrens Hospital, I just treated it like they were two miniature action movies... That was sort of my way of doing it.

IGN: How difficult is it taking on dual roles for a show like this? I noticed that your character wasn't in the premiere. Was that so you could fully commit to the directing side of things?

Bell: Absolutely, yeah. Given that these episodes were definitely a departure from what I know how to do naturally, I wanted to be very present. Corddry was really supportive of that. I preferred to not be in them and concentrate on doing a good job. In fact, I'm not in some of the other episodes either because I was prepping, but it was actually great. It's the best of both worlds: create one and then play in one, create one and then play in one. So it made me appreciative when I got back on set and didn't have to direct. That said, both of my Childrens Hospital episodes were kind of a little mini boot camp for me because I was in prep for a feature that I wrote, directed and starred in. So next year, I hope if I get to direct another couple episodes of Childrens Hospital, I'll feel more comfortable to be in them as well.

IGN: I was actually about to ask you about your feature (In a World...). What would you say was the biggest challenge of taking on a feature-length project like that, as opposed to directing short films or television?

Bell: I think the biggest challenge is, when you're doing Childrens Hospital -- even though you're a part of it -- someone else is the creator, and you're adhering to a style. You're working within a well-oiled machine; you can change some things and set up the shots, but you're not dealing with creating a new style and tone. So with a feature, I think there's this push to just express yourself the way you want to express yourself and make sure you're creating a cohesive, stylistic, emotional, truthful little nugget of motion art, you know? So I see a movie as a story that only you can tell, and that becomes the greatest challenge. It's very personal.

IGN: Do you think it helps coming from an actor's perspective when you're directing?

Bell: From where I'm standing, yeah. I work really hard to create an environment on set that is incredibly actor-friendly, and I've been there so many times that I just know what I like. I have tons of friends who are actors, and you just kind of -- from experience -- sponge off those different environments and pick what you like and what you don't like. I think if you've never been an actor, you're going to have a slightly different approach to it. But I've also worked with directors who have been directors their whole lives, and I learn from them, too.

IGN: What was your process like for directing the actors in Childrens Hospital as opposed to other people you don't work with as closely? Was it any easier for you, or more difficult?

Bell: I think, ultimately, it's easier. We're a troop of actors that have been doing this for years. We understand the musicality of the comedy. We know each other so well, and it's easy to bounce back and forth and know where the comedic beats are. Obviously, the directors can sweeten it a little bit or, because they're being objective, they can say, "We don't have to go down that route as much." But for all intents and purposes, yeah -- it's definitely easier on Childrens Hospital where everybody speaks the language.

IGN: And as far as the acting goes, Childrens Hospital certainly has its own unique brand of comedy. Is it ever jarring for you to come back after doing another project?

Bell: Oh, no way. We are well-oiled, absurdist machine at this point. It's always a joy to go back. I think the reason it's so fun is because it's kind of effortless at this point. It's like playing. It's like being a kid at a jamboree. There are no character arcs. There's not even really a logic. It can be as playful and silly as we want. It's amazingly effortless, actually.

IGN: Would you say acting is still the main focus for you at this point, or could you see yourself shifting gears a little bit more into writing and directing?

Bell: I think I will always be an actor, and I will always be a director. The thing that changed my life, I think, was the first time I directed a short film. I felt utterly at home. I felt like it was really good and satisfying and comfortable. I heard people always say, "It's mania! I don’t know how you do it." I didn't understand that. I am utterly happy in multitasking.

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love on Twitter and IGN.